Study 12 Objective:
What is the Great Commission, and how is it relevant to the life of the believer and of churches?
Back to Bible Study 12:
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The words of Jesus to His followers after His resurrection
The phrase “the Great Commission” is applied usually to Jesus’ words in Matthew 28:18-20: “And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, ‘All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you: and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.’” All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth Jesus “is Lord of all” (Acts 10:36), and in all things He has the preeminence (Colossians 1:18). If, as churches and believers involve themselves in mission or evangelism or outreach or whatever is the prevalent phrase, and do it without Jesus, it is to no avail. The mission of other religions does not acknowledge His supremacy and therefore are not doing God’s work. Any branch of Christianity that does not put Christ first in its practices and teachings is not of the work of God. Before His ascension to the Father Christ prophesied “…you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me” (Acts 1:8). The work of the Holy Spirit in mission is to lead believers to witness to Jesus Christ. God Who sends In Christian circles “mission” has acquired a variety of meanings. Sometimes it has referred to a building, sometimes to a trip to accomplish a ministry task in a foreign country, sometimes to the |
Reflection: In what ways does the authority of Jesus Christ influence your Christianity? founding of new churches, etc.
In church history “mission” was a theological term used to describe how God sent the Son and how the Father and the Son sent out the Holy Spirit. The English word “mission” has a Latin root. It comes from “missio” meaning “I send”. Hence mission refers to what someone or some group is sent to do. The concept of “sending” is integral to a biblical theology of the nature of God. God is the God Who sends. “Whom shall I send, and will go for Us?” asks the voice of the Lord (Isaiah 6:8). God sent Moses to Pharoah, Elijah and the other prophets to Israel, John the Baptist to witness to the light of Christ (John 1:6-7), who Himself was sent by the “living Father” for the salvation of the world (4:34; 6:57). God sends his angels to accomplish His will (Genesis 24:7, Matthew 13:41 and many more), and He sends the Holy Spirit in the name of the Son (John 14:26, 15:26; Luke 24:49). The Father will “send Jesus Christ” at the “times of restoration of all things” (Acts 3:20-21). |
